Friday, 9 August 2013

Elena has been an active member of the Etsy Expat Team for quite some time.

Originally from Russia, Elena first came to the US with her family to follow her father's scientific research where she landed in California.

In her own words she then " bounced around the country a bit" and has now settled in Upstate New York due to her husband's research.

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Here she shares a story with us and a photo of her lovely companion.

Most of my creative process takes place at home and, really, there is just one companion who witnesses all the ups and downs - my dog, Annie. She is a Kerry Blue terrier, also known as Irish blue. Isn't she pretty? And soft, very soft. The best thing, of course, is that she is happy to see me no matter what mood I am in. The tail is an indicator of her mood: wagging is happy, up means that she is on look out for squirrels (or really anything that might be passing by our yard, like bikes, walking people, deer), and down means one of two things, either she is eating something very tasty or she is disappointed. We do get along though. She is a constant source of enthusiasm.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Elena has a few different handmade items in her Etsy shop.. the most recent being her clear votive sleeves. Here is just a sample of some more of her lovely items:These magnetic lamp inserts are intriguing. What a fabulous idea and customizable too! Elena has a good selection of these in her shop.

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Etsy Expats Showcase

About Me

Here we are, miles away from where we started. Some of us have found homes away from home, others are packing bags and filling up boxes before the big move. Others still have gone back to their roots after spells abroad or are just dreaming of starting anew.

The Etsy Expats are a team of talented creative artists, running their shops in countries all over the world, often not their own.

Being an expat, means not always having the luxury of taking things for granted, such as knowing exactly where to go to get your tools - if you even know what they are called - or how to set up a company in a foreign country, or simply have your nieces model your latest jewelry.

Still, living abroad can be mind-opening. Your culture merges with another, your perception shifts and you get to enjoy the best of both worlds – the old one when you visit and the new one when you take advantage of being the guest. Undoubtedly the influences of your new milieu will not only enrich your outlook on life, but also stimulate your creative genius. The fact that many members of the Etsy Expats team have opened their Etsy shops AFTER becoming expats attests to that.